1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to furniture and, more particularly, to furniture having a surface of removable and interchangeable decorative tiles.
2. Description of the Background
Furnishings fulfill multiple needs and may combine both functional and ornamental characteristics. A dinner table, for example, provides a structure around which meals are eaten. End tables hold lamps, books, telephones and the like. Coffee tables offer a place to set drinks, place periodicals, or prop your feet. In addition to its functional characteristics, furniture may be decorative. A dresser may be specifically chosen to adorn a particular room because its ornamental character complements the interior design of the room.
As an extension of both utilitarian and decorative attributes, some furniture provides a means for artistic expression or entertainment to its users. Examples of this sort of interactive furniture are not as well known in the prior art. Nevertheless, U.S. Pat. No. 4,599,254 to Cuttica shows an article of furniture comprising an array of adjustable tiles. Cuttica ""254, however, teaches an array of tiles retained in a frame which allows the tiles to be rearranged only by sliding them within the framework. Unfortunately, the tiles in the Cuttica arrangement can not be removed from the framework, and expression is thereby limited by the physical restraints imposed by the fixed grid in which the tiles slide. Moreover, the table top as taught by Cuttica always has a gap or unoccupied space to accommodate sliding the next tile.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,840 to George describes an article having a decorative surface comprising a wooden block However, George ""840 teaches a means of permanently attaching the decorative surface to a wooden block. While George ""840 could ostensibly be used as an article of furniture, no such use is taught, nor does George teach arranging the decorative block elements on the surface of furniture as a means of artistic expression.
In light of the foregoing, it would be of great advantage to create an improved article of furniture with a decorative tile surface which enables one to easily rearrange the tiles and change the appearance of the table-top design in a manner unencumbered by the structure of the tile-supporting grid.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to present a movable array of tiles on the surface of an article of furniture.
It is another object of the present invention to seat the tiles in a framework mounted to the top surface of the article of furniture.
It is yet another object to remove and replace the tiles at any location within the grid of the table top frame.
A still further object of the invention is to present a medium for decorative or artistic expression by providing a framework within which an owner can vary tiles of different colors or finishes to produce unique and distinctive effects, similar to a mosaic.
According to the present invention, the above-described and other objects are accomplished by providing an article of furniture carrying a plurality of tiles on a top surface. A frame is disposed on the top surface for removably securing said tiles thereon. The frame comprises an external frame member surrounding and forming a border along the top surface, and an internal frame comprising a centrally disposed spine with a plurality of ribs extending outward from the spine at regularly spaced intervals. The internal frame is seated within the external frame and subdivides the area therein into a plurality of recesses. The tiles are removably seated within the recesses anywhere within the table top grid, and they can be rearranged on the surface within the recesses according to the whim of the user. Each tile bears a distinctive color or finish, and the user may arrange the tiles on the surface of the table according to his or her whim, for purposes of artistic expression, or purely for entertainment.